Visiting Central Mississippi

Jackson Mississippi - the Crossroads of the South and the City with Soul. Mississippi’s capital city, Jackson has more than twice the population of any other Mississippi community. Fly into Jackson-Evers International Airport, drive from the east or west on Interstate 20 or north and south on Interstate 55 – any way you arrive in Jackson, you are in for a wonderful time. Jackson fills the calendar with amazing events for residents and visitors: Fall brings the Mississippi State Fair in October; Outoberfest celebrating Jackson’s LGBT community is also in October; November brings the Capital City Classic to Veterans Memorial Stadium; and nothing is more special than Jackson during the holidays.

Jackson State University and its Tiger Athletics are the Pride of the city. Fall means the excitement of Tiger football and no game is bigger than the Capital City Classic. 2011 marks the 19th year for the gridiron match-up between the JSU Tigers and the Alcorn State University Braves. Saturday’s November, 20th games is preceded by a week of festivities including a Kick-off reception at Diamond Jacks Restaurant, golf tournament at Brookwood Country Club and President’s Gala featuring live music by ConFunkShun. Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium is home turf for the Tigers, and hosts the Capital City Classic.

October’s Mississippi State Fair is hosted in Jackson at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds located east of Interstate 55 off the Pearl Street Exit. The 2011 fair festivities run October 5th through the 16th, complete with livestock and agriculture competition, top-name performers at the grandstand, and a mile long midway filled with rides, concessions and games. An ideal family event, plan a trip to Jackson and the Mississippi State Fair.

Jackson for the holidays is a special treat. Kick-off the season the first Saturday of December for the City of Jackson Christmas Parade, followed by the city tree lighting and entertainment at Jackson City Hall. The Medgar Evers Community Center hosts Jackson’s Kwanza celebration, honoring the city’s rich African American heritage. A must see community tradition is the Belhaven Singing Christmas Tree. A Belhaven University tradition since 1933, nearly 100 singers are positioned on tree shaped risers for the outdoor concert at Belhaven’s soccer bowl.  Join the Jackson community for this popular concert the first weekend in December. If a performance of the Nutcracker is a family holiday tradition, join Ballet Mississippi for the 2011 Nutcracker Performances at Thalia Mara Hall in downtown Jackson.

Pearl, just five miles southeast of Jackson near the crossroads of Interstate 55 and Interstate 20. Pearl claims it is the “City Creating its Own Future”, and a visit shows it has come far from its early days when it was coined the mobile home capital of Mississippi. Today home to baseball’s minor league Mississippi Braves and a desire for growth and improvement – Keep the city of Pearl on your itinerary when you visit Jackson.

Central Mississippi Hotel Map